A Circus Escapade
by Dash-Rendar
Summary: UPDATE! FINAL CHAPTER IS UP! SaffireStarz's happy ending is up. I know you're all going to enjoy this. :
1. Chapter 1

Teen Titans

A Circus Escapade

A/N: Hey guys! We (Dash-Rendar and SaffireStarz) have come out with a story we hope you enjoy. We each wrote our own endings to the story, Dash's being sad and depressing, with SaffireStarz's being happy. You can read both or just whichever you want. We respect all reviews, but we will persecute flamers.

With that being said, enjoy! Please keep your hands and feet inside the ride at all times!

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The date was set for 7:00.

But no Kory yet.

7:01.

_Ding, dong!_

Finally.

"Hey, Kory! You're late."

Richard Grayson opened the door to let his beautiful girlfriend Kory Anders inside his mansion.

"Nice to see you too, handsome. So, where are you taking me?" Kory asked as she sat on the couch to make herself feel comfortable.

Richard took a seat next to her and put his arms around her as she placed her head on his shoulder. "I don't know. I was going to let you choose this time."

Inside, Kory was leaping with joy. This was exactly what she wanted him to say. "Yes! I know exactly where we should go."

Richard raised an eyebrow behind his aviator sunglasses at Kory's unexpected excitement.

"Well, for a few days there has been this really large, white and red, striped tent and I was thinking maybe we should go check it out."

Richard's eyes grew big. White and red striped tent? That could only mean one thing: the circus was in town. "Kor, I," he stammered and paused. He removed his arm and stood up. "No, I can't. I, no, not the circus."

The emerald-eyed girl stood as well. She looked at her boyfriend with concern. "Are you okay?"

The boy nodded his head slowly, though it took much of his strength to hold back the tears that were trying to escape him. He would not allow himself to cry- especially in front of his girlfriend. He was not going to let himself look weak. He put the best reassuring face he could and smiled at her, "Uh, yeah. I just had bad experiences there."

"Really? Like what?"

"It's, uh, it's nothing. It's not that big of a deal." He mentally willed her to not push the issue any further.

Kory made a face that showed her obvious annoyance. "Well, if it's not a big deal, why can't we go?"

No response.

Because neither Richard nor Kory had pressed on the matter of Richard's experience, Kory failed to realize how distressed Richard was over the circus. Instead, his reluctance had only put Kory in a teasing mood.

"I was really looking forward to our date today." She started to say. Then she pulled out two pieces from her bag and showed waved them in the air. "I already got two tickets for us. Today's their final performance in town tonight and I really, really wanted to go and watch them. If you won't go, I guess…I guess I'll have to ask someone else. Xavier maybe?"

Richard's brows furrowed. Xavier has been his rival since elementary school. He hated him and vice versa. Even back before he and Kory started dating, Richard would not let Xavier near her though she and Xavier were friends. He always got upset when he flirted with her. Of course Richard would get jealous and Kory would have to assure him that she did not care for Xavier the same way. However, she found that her boyfriend would still get jealous and occasionally, he would use Xavier to her advantage.

"Kory, I hate that guy!" Richard's voice showed that if she pressed the matter further he would get more angry than he already way.

"I know but he's my friend. He may not be your friend but he's mine. And if you won't go to the circus with me, I have to find someone else to go."

Richard could not believe this. He desperately did not want to go but it was either he or Xavier. It was not that she did not trust Kory to go with Xavier; it was that he did not trust Xavier. At all.

"…I'll go."

Kory leaped in the air and swiftly kissed Richard on the cheek. She knew that plan would work. Although, she did have this guilty feeling in the pit of her stomach for taking advantage of her boyfriend. He'll have a good time and then he won't be so scared of the circus anymore and he'll be thankful I made him go, she insisted as to shake off her guilt.

"Great! The show starts in about a half hour."

The ride to the circus to did not take long. But all through the ride, there was nothing but worried butterflies in Richard's stomach and concern in Kory's eyes. She was beginning to think this whole idea was not so smart after all. Richard had to be reminded to slow down on a few stop signs and to keep up with the speed limit in the freeway. Richard was a fast driver but he seemed to be going slower than the old people in the freeway riding 45 mph on a 65 mph freeway. His hands shook as he moved the steering wheel, which sometimes caused him to drive off of his lane. Kory decided that she would drive home after all this. It was too late to tell him that they should just stay home and watch a movie. They had already arrived at _Cirque de Jump_.

As luck would have it, Kory and Richard sat on the front seats.

The show began shortly. The Ringmaster greeted the audience and introduced the performances. First to perform were the clowns juggling while balancing and walking on an oversized ball. To continue the excitement, the lion was sent out next to be tamed by its tamer. The following performances included tightrope walking, human cannonball, knives throwing, plate spinning, fire eating and sword swallowing acts.

Kory applauded with the audience after watching the last thrilling act. She had never been in a circus before and all the daredevil stunts had her on the edge of her seat.

"And now, the moment you have all been waiting for: the trapeze acts!" the Ringmaster announced.

Richard, who had remained frozen in seat for the whole performance, instantly became tense. Kory felt and saw him do so. "Richard…"

He half smiled at her. "I'm fine, Kory. Don't worry."

But he was not fine and Kory knew this. He was breathing hard and he did not seem to be able to settle down.

The trapeze artists came out in all their bright and colorful attire. They danced in the air and swung from one end to the other. Occasionally, there were gasps from the audience when it seemed that the acrobat was not going to get a hold of the trapeze. Richard's heart would leap in his chest each time it happened. But all the gasps and leaping of heart were for nothing as the trapeze artist were able to do their job flawlessly. After the encore, the acrobats finished their act with applause from the audience. The circus performed a final routine together and the show ended after a final word from the Ringmaster.

"That was amazing, Dick! How could you not have wanted to go?" she asked, getting out of her seat and started to head back to the car. Around them, the workers were tearing down the smaller tents and the carnies were shutting their booths down to get loaded into trucks.

Dick's eyes were invisible behind his black aviator sunglasses. "I never told you how I came to live with Bruce, did I?" He opened her door and let her in.

Kory shook her head. "No, you didn't. Is that really important?" She didn't want to make him feel any more uncomfortable than he already was. She leaned back in the seat as he began to tell the story.

"Before I was living with Bruce, my family and I were in a circus, just like this one. We were known as The Flying Grayson Family because of our skill as trapeze artists. My stage name was Robin, because Dad claimed I flew like one when I was up on the wires." He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath, calming himself.

"On the last night we were supposed to perform, a local crime lord came to collect some money the Ringmaster had 'borrowed' from him a few months earlier. When he found out that Mr. Jameson didn't have it, he had a couple of his goons lightly slice the trapeze wires to get back at him since he knew we were the prize act.

"Before he could tell us to be careful, it was our turn up. We hit the wires in our costumes with a fire burning in our hearts that could only be described as unbridled joy for the last time before we moved over to Jump City. Then, half way through the act, my mom was going through her customary jump from her wire to dad's wire, but as soon as he caught her, his line gave way, letting them fall to the net below. But the net wasn't there. They fell to their deaths. I was the only one who survived."

He opened his door to get into the car. "Now you know why I didn't want to come." He started the car and was just about to pull back onto the freeway when Kory groaned. "What?" Richard asked, stopping the car.

Kory unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car. "I left my purse in the stands. I'll go grab it and be right back." She jogged off to the tent in search of the lost item as Richard shut the car off and leaned back in his seat to wait for her.

Kory walked closer to the center and called on the performers who had just finished setting the net down.

"Excuse me!" she called to them.

"Miss, the show's over," the Ringmaster said.

"Yes, I understand. But, I had a favor to ask; an important favor." She paused to receive a reply. When the Ringmaster nodded his head uncertainly, she took that as a sign to go on. "My boyfriend is afraid of-"

The Ringmaster laughed. "Clowns? A lot of people seem to be."

Kory raised an eyebrow. "Well, no. He's more afraid of the circus in general: trapeze artists in particular. He had a tragic experience and I want him to realize that he needs to get over his fear or he's going to be dwelling in that painful experience forever. I want him to lock his fears and pain away but still hold onto the memories."

"How poetic. How do you expect to help him?"

"I'm a wonderful gymnast," she started. Four words and the Ringmaster had understood her plan. Immediately he shook his head disapprovingly.

"It doesn't matter if you're the greatest gymnast in the world. If anything happens, it would be our fault unless you sign a lease of course. Besides, even if you signed one, the safety net is already taken down. There's no point putting it back since tonight is our last performance here."

Kory felt discouraged but that did not stop her. "I can do it without a net! I can bend like a bendy straw…"

The Ringmaster was becoming frustrated.

"Let her." The two heads turned to an acrobat walking to them. He was still in his shimmering silver outfit that appeared to be like a second skin. He looked to be around Kory's age if not older by just a year or two. "I've been through this whole experience. I used to be afraid of the circus too, especially acrobats. It'll do the guy some good if he saw her perform."

"But...ok," the Ringmaster said, giving in. The acrobat waved at her.

"Come with me so we can put you in a proper attire." He turned and headed out from the back of the tent

Kory followed the acrobat who had helped her and wondered how he had managed to change the Ringmaster's mind. When she asked, she learned that though he was an acrobat, he was the head of the circus that had more control over the circus than the Ringmaster.

"So, why are you letting me do this?" They had reached a large tent marked COSTUMES.

"I've had a sad circus experience, too. When I was a bit younger, I went to a circus performance. I had always loved watching acrobats during a trapeze act. The art of it was just thrilling. I didn't know it would be the most tragic thing I would ever see. My family took me to see _The Flying Graysons_ perform. Their son was making his debut." Kory's heart leapt at this point. "But, something went terribly wrong. The rope was cut and the parents, they fell. There was no net. I was so young; too young to see death. I never wanted to see a single circus again after that. If ever I saw a tent, I would get sick to my stomach. I didn't know the family but it affected me greatly. Nightmares came every night and they just wouldn't go away. The man and woman's screams kept replaying in my mind over and over again. And the boy…such despair in his eyes. I couldn't imagine having to lose my parents at that age. I last saw him talking to a tall, rich looking man." The acrobat paused. "I wonder how that boy's doing."

Kory smiled sincerely. "I'm sure he's doing better," she said knowingly. She stopped in her tracks and turned around to look at where Dick was standing. She smiled at her boyfriend's direction and sent him a 'hold on' signal.

"Is he who you're doing all this for?" the acrobat asked.

Kory nodded.

"My girlfriend did the same thing for me. It was almost as scary as the Graysons when they performed. But, she was a really wonderful gymnast, like you claim to be. Actually, she's the other acrobat I performed with today. She helped me put all the tragic events behind me and reminded me how much I love the circus. If it wasn't for her, I probably wouldn't be here helping you."

Kory smiled, "I should thank her, then."

The acrobat smiled back. He stopped in front of a rack full of colorful costumes. He picked up a white leotard with emerald designs and matching leggings. "Try this."

Kory took the outfit and walked out of his view to change. She returned less than five minutes later with her hair tied in a tight bun.

"Ready?"

She nodded.

"Have you ever actually performed on a trapeze before?"

She shook her head nervously.

"Neither did she. She was naturally flexible and her father belonged to a circus but it wasn't until I came along that she actually became involved with it." He let out a small laugh, "Don't worry you won't fall. I'll be your partner. In any event that you slip, your boyfriend will be there to catch you."

And Kory suddenly felt better. "How do you know this?"

"Remember how I told you it was almost as scary?" Kory nodded. "She fell but I caught her no matter how high up she was. When I look back, I'm kind of all right with her falling. After I reclaimed my passion for performing, it made me think 'She is never going to perform again unless I'm up there with her'. Since then, she's been my partner. Sometimes I think she purposely fell. She must've trusted me a lot."

The red-haired girl smiled. She trusted Richard with her life, too. He would catch her if she fell.

"Well, you better get going. I'll go call your boyfriend."

Kory reappeared in her costume and waved to Dick. He was beyond shocked. He knew what she was doing. "Kory! What are you doing?" He hurried towards her.

"Proving to you that these things are safe!" she replied, climbing up the bars to where the wires were. Dick ran up to the pole she was currently climbing but was stopped by none other than the acrobat.

"She's doing this for you. If you climb up with her, it won't do you or her any good. Besides, if she fell, you wouldn't be down here to catch her."

Dick's eyes widened.

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A/N: You want to find out what happens to Kory? You got read the other chapters. They will be posted ASAP. Dash already has his finished, so his will be posted first.

Give us a review to let us know what you think of the story so far. We'll updated after 4 or more reviews, so don't forget to review!

Dash and SaffireStarz


	2. Sad Ending

Teen Titans

A Circus Escapade

A/N: Okay, guys. This is Dash's sad ending to the story. If you choose to read this, we can't be held responsible for your reactions. Dash wrote it his way. You got a problem with it, please say so nicely. Regardless, he won't do anything about it, since this is already published.

Enjoy!

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"Relax and just enjoy the show." The acrobat said, then also climbed up on his side. He sent a signal to Kory and she sent one back. They were ready. With strong grips, they held on to the bar. Kory took off. Dick's heartbeat quickened as he looked up. She let go of the bar and was caught by the acrobat in the legs. He swung her a few times until she was close enough to flip in the air and get a hold of her bar. They repeated this again and again until they felt that the man below felt relieved.

He called to her as she reached the other side. "Okay, you've made your point. Get down here now. You don't know what you're doing!" Then he noticed that the net that was supposed to be under the trapeze wasn't there, just as the stands were being taken down and packed up. They were leaving.

Kory was having the time of her life on the wires, floating effortlessly through the air. 'How can Richard be scared of this? This is amazing!' she thought to herself. She flipped off from her bar, only to be caught by the other acrobat. She was quickly tossed back to another wire as he leapt from his own to another one nearby.

Just then, the rope she landed on started to unravel. Dick noticed it right away with his keen eyes and yelled, "KORY! SWING TO THE PLATFORM! THE ROPE IS GONNA GIVE OUT!"

He spoke too late. Just as she had predicted, the rope snapped at halfway. She screamed as she began her freefall to the ground below.

The other acrobat quickly leapt back to the middle wire, swinging forward, trying to catch her, but missed her ankle by about an inch.

Richard was already moving, trying to get under her to break the fall, but he realized he was going to be a second too slow. Her body hit the ground with a thud and an audible CRACK was heard.

He dropped to his knees beside her body, tears falling onto the dirt ground below. Just seeing the way her head was, he knew that the fall had broken her neck, as well as an arm bone. "Why does this always happen to me?" He removed his sunglasses and stared at the ceiling of the tent. "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?" he screamed to the heavens, as if expecting an answer from God. "Did I do something to deserve this? First my family and now my best friend in the world."

The acrobat landed and came over to him. "Oh God," he kept repeating over and over again. "I'm sorry, man. I shouldn't have let her up there in the first place. This is all my fault." He placed his hand on Richard's shoulder before walking away to call an ambulance.

He put his sunglasses back on after wiping his tears away and gingerly picked up his girlfriend's corpse. Walking out of the tent, he vowed to himself that he would somehow make a change in the world.

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A week later, a small funeral for close family and friends was held at Wayne Manor. After a small ceremony, including a very emotional eulogy from Richard, they moved to her body to the cemetery in the back of the house, where a large tombstone had been erected.

Richard had spent hours carving out the tombstone himself. The white marble had cost him three months of his pay that he'd been saving for his new motorcycle. The stone read

KORINA OPAL ANDERS

1989-2007

BELOVED DAUGHTER

BEST FRIEND

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A/N: Hope you all enjoyed my chapter and that it was somewhat of a tearjerker. That was what I intended it to be.

Gimme a review to let me know what you thought.

Love, peace and chicken grease!

Dash


	3. Happy Ending

Teen Titans

A Circus Escapade

A/N: Hey guys! This is the happy ending to the story! Hope you all enjoy it!

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"Relax and just enjoy the show." He then climbed up on his side. He sent a signal to Kory and she sent one back. They were ready. Kory took off. Dick's heartbeat quickened as he looked up. She let go of the bar and the other acrobat caught her legs. He swung her a few times until she was close enough to flip in the air and get a hold of her bar. They repeated this again and again until they felt that the man below felt relieved.

After one last flip, Kory held on to her handle and breathed in deeply.

Catch her, the acrobat thought as if sending Dick a telepathic message just as Kory let go. Dick's eyes widened as he realized her falling figure become bigger and bigger. As his mind settled on what was happening, his body automatically positioned itself in catching her. She was coming closer. It was now or never. She would either fall in his arms or…not.

Something fell in his arms. He had caught her! His heart was still beating fast and he could not slow it down. He looked at the figure and it was smiling back at him. "I knew you'd catch me," he heard her say.

He smiled back before kissing her. After a minute he pulled back and said, "You scared me."

"I know. I scared me, too. But I trusted you. I couldn't imagine having you be afraid of the circus. Now knowing your past, I think it would have been better that you look at the circus as memory of your parents and what they were. If they loved being part of the circus, you should look at the circus as something they loved."

He wrapped his arms around her like there was no tomorrow. God, he loved her.

"I see he caught you," the acrobat said, coming towards the couple. "I knew he would."

Dick and the acrobat exchanged glances. "Kory, who's he?"

"Dick, this is the guy who helped me help you." She stopped and looked back and forth between the two.

"Do you still fear the circus?" the acrobat asked.

"Nevermore," Dick replied, looking at Kory with a smile on his face. "Thanks."

She turned to the acrobat. "Did you ever want to know what became of that boy?"

He laughed, "I wish but what are the chances of that?"

"Pretty good actually. I think you should meet him. This is my boyfriend: Richard _Grayson_."

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A/N: So, what did you people think? Awesome, eh? Funny thing is SaffireStarz felt like she was on crack when she wrote this. I don't think so, eh?

Well, give us a review to let us know what you thought of the whole story. Sad that's finished now eh? You might see us do another story later on, after SaffireStarz clears her writing agenda up a little. So, until then….

Love, peace and chicken grease!

Dash and SaffireStarz


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